Song of Time
by art1st4786
Summary: Takes place five years after “If These Guitars Could Talk”. The threat of an old enemy returning has the Smashers troubled. They are more shocked when it involves an old friend they thought they’d never see again. Rated for language and dark themes.
1. Troubling News and a Familiar Face

Song of Time

Summary: Takes place five years after "If These Guitars Could Talk". The threat of an old enemy returning has the Smashers troubled. They are more shocked when it involves an old friend they thought they'd never see again.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Super Smash Bros. characters. They are owned by Nintendo. I do not own any of the songs that will be used in this story, either. I will give proper disclaimers with those chapters. Michelle and Kimoru are my own personal creations. Please do not use them without my permission.

In order to understand this story, you must read "Attack of the Phantom", "The Reunion", "In the Eyes of a Hero", and "If These Guitars Could Talk" in that order.

Chapter 1: Troubling News and a Familiar Face

It had been five years since the Smashers visited Earth for their musical vacation. Five years since that horrific accident. Five years since they had seen Michelle. Right after they had left, the Smashers thought about her a lot, then over time, she was a distant memory. Everyone had moved on with their lives. They had all returned to their respective homes, awaiting the next tournament. There were four tournaments, one each year. Falco had won the first of the four, then Link, then Ness, then Luigi (and he made sure Mario didn't forget).

It was year five, and the next tournament was about to start. All of the Smashers had arrived and settled into their rooms. As always, before the beginning of the tournament, there was a board meeting to determine the order of the tournament. However, they weren't expecting what they were about to hear this year.

"The tournament is going to be running differently this year," announced the Chairman. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Mario cleared his throat.

"How so?" he asked. The Chairman gave them an even face.

"As in it's being delayed until a more pressing matter is attended to." More confusion arose. The Chairman motioned for everyone to be silent. "I'm sure you all remember the Phantom, Kimoru?" Everyone nodded, getting uneasy feelings in their stomachs. "There's been a rumor floating around that someone is trying to bring him back, and they've found a way to do so."

"What!? What do you mean!? What's going to happen!?" the Smashers shouted variously. The Chairman once again silenced them.

"It means you all have a mission," he ordered. "All of our information has been coming from our headquarters on a remote island off the west coast of the United States. I am sending all of you there to get further information. Housing has been provided for you."

Within the week, all of the Smashers arrived on the island and moved their belongings into the apartments that resided on the upper floors of the headquarters. The island was tiny and forested, with them being the only residents. They were about two hundred miles off of the coast of Los Angeles. Their work was to begin the next day, but they were free to relax that night. They all had been granted access to a karaoke contest at an anime convention that was happening in L.A. They took a small plane over and arrived. They were lucky enough to get front row seats and were grateful enough to blend in with the crowd of cosplayers. Everyone started cheering when the M.C. ran onto the stage, hyping up the crowd.

"How's everyone doing tonight!?" he shouted. Everyone screamed loudly. "That's what I'm talking about! It is a great privilege to introduce our host for tonight! She started off winning karaoke contests at anime conventions on the east coast and even hosting at one of them for two years. She was discovered by a Japanese American studio and signed on to a record deal fresh out of college! She's already starting to make waves overseas and looks to do it in her home country, too! She used to be one of you once! Give it up for MISHERU!" Everyone started to cheer loudly once the M.C. ran off the stage and music began to play in the background. Suddenly, a beautiful brunette ran onto the stage. She had long, brown hair that flowed behind her as she ran. She wore a black halter-top that showed off her midriff. She had matching black gloves with a gold band around the tops and wrists; the fingers were cut off. She wore short, denim jeans with ruffled-pink fabric in three layers on her right hip that cascaded down halfway down her thigh. Black, knee-length boots adorned her legs to finish off her outfit.

"What's up, Los Angeles!?" she yelled. Everyone began to cheer loudly again. The Smashers stared at her in shock once they saw what was around her neck: a Triforce pendant. Link stood up and made eye contact with her, which shocked the woman on stage.

"Michelle!?"

Hey, guys! It's been a while since I've touched this series! I will tell you now that this is the last story in this series. I got a sudden spark of inspiration a few days ago. Updates will be a little slow until May, since I'm working on a ten-page paper for my research methods class right now (shoot me ). Let me know what you think so far!


	2. The Briefing

Chapter 2: The Briefing

After the show had ended, Michelle had to make an early departure for an unknown reason, so the Smashers weren't able to catch up with their old friend. They returned to the island and went to bed, disappointed and bewildered. Link found himself unable to get to sleep. He just looked at his roommate, his younger self, who was sleeping peacefully. He sighed, then walked over to the window and looked out at the night sky. The moon was a waxing crescent and the stars were shining as brightly as ever. He closed his eyes for a few moments, enjoying the peace.

Flash

_He was looking up at a leering Kimoru._

Flash

_He saw Michelle wield the Master Sword and attack the phantom._

Flash

_He saw Master and Crazy Hand, Kimoru, and Giga Bowser stand before him._

Flash

_He saw the giant monster outside of Hyrule Castle and Dark Link attacking him and his friends._

Flash

_He saw Kimoru come out of the darkness, laughing maniacally. His laughter echoed throughout his head._

Link quickly opened his eyes with a gasp, then realized he was still in his room. He could feel his heart beating and he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. He frowned, then looked up at the night sky again.

"Why am I feeling this way?" he asked himself.

The next day came and everyone made their way to the briefing room, which looked just like the board room at the Smash Mansion. There were three large monitors that resided on the back wall that were turned off. Everyone took their seats and waited for the meeting to start. Link looked extremely tired, but he wasn't the only one; half of the Smashers weren't able to sleep the previous night, either.

After waiting for about ten minutes, a middle-aged man dressed in a green military uniform walked into the room. Everyone silenced themselves when he walked in. He was followed by a younger-looking man, appearing in his mid-twenties, also in a uniform. The older man fiddled with some settings on the monitors, then all three screens turned on, each with a different person behind the screen. Fox and Falco stood up immediately when they recognized one of the men.

"General Pepper!?" cried out both of the men in unison. Pepper laughed slightly, then smiled.

"Good to see you two again," greeted the general.

"General Pepper, along with Generals Matoya and Irgo, have been working with us collecting data and intelligence about this matter," explained the older man. "For those of you who don't know me, I am General Paul Luneth, and this is my son, Lieutenant Steven Luneth."

"Just call me Steve," butted-in the lieutenant.

"At the request of your boss, you have been sent here to help us investigate the rumors about Kimoru," explained General Luneth. "And at the request of my son's fiancée, she wishes to join you in the investigation." Link noticed a strange look appear on Steve's face, then revert back to a neutral, professional look. His attention, as well as everyone else's, turned to the opening door as a young woman walked in. Their eyes widened once they knew who the woman was.

"Michelle!?" everyone shouted in unison. Link couldn't help but stare at her. She looked older than when they last met her. She was about twenty-three-years-old, around the same age as Link. She was wearing jeans, brown boots, a white tank-top, and a corduroy jacket with white fur lining the inside and the collar. She had a sword sheathed at her left side and a gun attached to her right side. She still wore the Triforce pendant that was given to her almost seven years ago. She looked at all of the Smashers and smiled.

"It's good to see everyone again," said Michelle. Even her voice had changed a bit. And she was engaged!? That bit of news shocked Link quite a bit, but he regained his composure. Steve looked at her pleadingly.

"Michelle, I'm begging you, don't put yourself in harm's way like this," beseeched Steve. Michelle sighed.

"Steve, I told you already, after what happened last night, I want to help put an end to Kimoru once and for all."

"Wait, what happened last night?" asked Samus. Michelle gave her a serious look.

"I was attacked by three cloaked men after the show," explained Michelle. "I fought them off, but one of them said to me, 'Be wary of who you keep close to you, for they may not be what they seem.' Before they left, they shouted, 'Long Live the Phantom!' I have a feeling that what they said are related to each other."

"So you're saying it could be any one of us that's trying to bring Kimoru back?" asked Zelda. Michelle turned her attention to General Luneth.

"The only information that we have received is that this person is somewhere in the United States," stated the general. "We received that information last night. This island is technically considered U.S. Territory, since it is an island off of the state of California, so that means it could be anyone, even one of you Smashers." The Smashers looked at each other, then back at the general. "We're counting on you to help us out. You are all dismissed. I wish to have a meeting in my office with the Generals and Lieutenant Luneth. Generals, if you could disconnect and reconnect on server 6348.7, we will begin the meeting in five minutes." The Generals nodded. Matoya and Irgo disconnected as General Luneth and Steve exited the room. General Pepper waited until the two had left, then cleared his throat.

"Fox, if I receive any information, I will relay it to you," announced Pepper. Fox nodded.

"Yes, Sir," he responded. "But…why will you be giving it to me instead of General Luneth?

"There's been a problem with the databases being hacked into and information being changed," explained Pepper. "I would rather give it to you personally without it being hacked into as it has been in the past."

"Odd," breathed Mario. "Why would-a the General fail to tell us-a about the hacking?"

"He does not want you to worry about that problem," answered Pepper. "He was able to give you the information you need to get started on the investigation. I'll keep you posted with any information that I find, and then you can relay it to the General. I will alert him of this. Pepper out." And with those words, the screen went blank. Everyone looked at each other, then at Michelle.

"So…" started Link "…you're engaged?" Michelle nodded.

"It's been a long engagement," stated Michelle. "We met in college while he was in the ROTC program there. We started dating my sophomore year, and he sometimes performed on stage with me. He's got a nice voice. We got engaged during my junior year, his senior year. We wanted to wait until we both graduated from college to get married. It took me an extra year to graduate due to extenuating circumstances, so it got pushed back."

"So when's the wedding?" asked Peach. Michelle smiled.

"In two months, when the autumn leaves begin to change color."

_Okay, so things are starting to get explained, but I'm sure many questions are beginning to arise. Those questions will be answered in later chapters, so you'll need to stay tuned for the next update! I'll be updating the beginning of May._


	3. Discoveries

Chapter 3: Discoveries

The Smashers spent the next hour or so catching up on old times with Michelle. She was happy to hear that the tournaments went well and that their lives are back on track. They were happy to hear that she was doing well herself, both physically and financially. Though still a bit shocked about it, they were still happy for Michelle's engagement.

After the meeting with the generals was over, Steve came out and suggested that everyone enjoy the rest of the evening. Michelle whispered something to Steve, then he nodded and smiled at her. Michelle turned to her friends.

"Could you guys follow me?" she asked. "I know what we can do tonight." She led everyone down the hallway and to a large lounging area with a karaoke machine. There were mixed reactions to the machine, but everyone sat down regardless. "Okay, for everyone who's going to participate in karaoke, put your name on a slip of paper and we'll draw names out of a hat randomly to see who goes next." About half of the Smashers wrote their names down, including Steve and Michelle, then put them in Steve's hat. He held the hat out to Peach, who then drew out a name.

"Steve, it looks like you're up first," announced the princess.

"You always go first," laughed Michelle. Steve smiled, then gave her a peck on the lips. He then walked over to the machine and picked a song.

"Just lucky, I guess," he chuckled. The music started up and he began singing. The others were quite shocked, except for Michelle; Steve had a nice singing voice, and great stage presence. They then remembered that he used to perform with Michelle back in college, so their shock wore off. When he was done, he set the microphone down onto the machine and walked back to his seat during the applause.

"Hey, that was-a pretty good," complimented Luigi. Steve smiled, then dug his hand into the hat.

"Okay, who's the next victim—I mean, singer?" asked Steve sarcastically, causing some chuckles to emit from the crowd. He pulled out a name, then faced the crowd. "Link, you're up."

"What!?" blurted Link. "I-I didn't put my name in there! Who put my name in there!?" He looked around, then glared at the guilty party. "Falcon!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself," laughed the racer. He sighed nervously, then slowly made his way to the machine. He knew he couldn't get out of it; he knew of three certain girls who would use the sad, puppy-dog look on him, which always put him into submissive mode. He looked at the song list, a strained look forming on his face. Michelle walked over to help him out.

"Can't pick a song?" she asked. Link looked at her.

"I don't know any of these songs, and I don't do well in front of large crowds," he admitted. Michelle put a hand on his right shoulder, then looked at the list.

"I think…this one will suit you well," suggested Michelle, picking the song. "You'll be fine; you're among friends. Good luck." Link watched her walk back over to Steve, then looked at the screen with the words on it. He listened to the melody, then when it was time to start singing, he brought the microphone up and began to sing. Link's singing shocked everyone more than Steve's. Nobody had ever heard Link sing. Even when he did back-up vocals five years ago for Fox and Falco, his voice blended in with everyone else's and was almost audible. When the song was over, Link shakily put the microphone back down onto the machine. His head quickly snapped in the direction of the audience when he heard loud cheering and clapping.

"Link, that was amazing!" squealed Zelda. Link blinked in surprise.

"Holy crap, man!" exclaimed Fox. "I didn't know you could sing!"

"Maybe you should be touring with me next year," suggested Michelle enthusiastically. Link looked at Michelle, his face getting very red.

"I still don't do well in front of large crowds," noted Link nervously. Steve put an arm around Michelle and looked at Link.

"Besides, she's already got a partner," stated Steve, smiling. Link looked at him, then nodded, keeping silent.

Fox was next after Link, wowing the crowd once more. Marth, Roy, Zelda, and Samus performed decently. Falcon and Ness made everyone groan. Everyone wanted to pull their ears out when they heard Mario sing. Falco redeemed the group with his amazing performance, bringing back memories from five years ago. Michelle finished everything off with one of her songs, proving her worth as a performer.

* * *

The next day was devoted to investigations. Everyone split into three teams. Team Mushroom, which consisted of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Kirby, and the Ice Climbers, snooped for information on the island. Team Triforce, which consisted of Link, Zelda, Young Link, Ganondorf, Michelle, Marth, Roy, and Captain Falcon, went into Los Angeles to search for clues around where Michelle was attacked (They were picked since they were the most human-looking ones). Team Insider, which consisted of Fox, Falco, Samus, Mewtwo, Pikachu, Ness, Pichu, and Jigglypuff, stayed inside of the base and searched the databases for anything they could find.

Samus scanned every computer that she could get her hands on in the room, desperately looking for some kind of clue. Fox and Falco stood at each door entering the room for the main database. Mewtwo sat in the middle of the room cross-legged with his eyes closed, trying to sense any presence that came near. Ness was on stand-by in case he needed to quickly shut down any of the systems. The Pokémon waited by Mewtwo, waiting for any orders from it. After what seemed like an eternity, Samus got everyone's attention.

"Everyone, take a look at this," she ordered. Everyone walked over to the computer, looking at the passage that Samus was pointing at. Everyone was amazed and confused at what they saw.

* * *

_Phase 1: Collect DNA Samples. Status—Complete_

_Phase 2: Test Magic Levels. Status—In Progress_

_Phase 3: Detain Compatible Match. Status—N/A_

_Phase 4: Extract Magic Into Host. Status—N/A_

_Phase 5: Revive Phantom. Status—N/A_

* * *

"Someone's trying to revive Kimoru!?" fumed Falco. Fox quickly clamped Falco's beak shut.

"Quiet!" whispered Fox harshly. "Someone could hear you!"

"Testing magic levels? What magic levels?" asked Ness, getting a bad feeling in his stomach.

"And whose DNA samples did they collect?" questioned Fox.

"Better yet, who is this 'they' that we speak of?" interrogated Mewtwo. Samus opened up another file, then scowled.

"There's more information here," she started, "but it's written in code. We have to crack the code somehow." Falco freed himself from Fox's grasp and looked at the code on the screen.

"It'll take us days to crack that," noted the avian.

"I've downloaded the files into my logbook," announced Samus. "We'll be able to review it at another time. It's best if we get out of here." Everybody nodded, then exited the room.


End file.
